jmorley
02-02-2003, 06:13 AM
Picked these 2 up yesterday in the UK. Just a couple of first impressions.
Both are 2 channel PCM stereo, not 5.1. Did not really expect Yesyears to be 5.1, as it is a documentary with music clips. But surely the tracks on the video hits could have easily been mixed into 5.1. Don't get me wrong, sound is good, but it could have been better.
I still think Yesyears is a superb documentary. There is some wonderful archive footage in there, and some honest comments from the members of the band. Rick is superbly entertaining as always, and this really is a comprehensive warts-and-all history of the band from the early days up to about 1990.
I always wondered if there were longer versions of some of the concert clips, especially from the Relayer/Tormato/Going For The One and Union tours era. (There is a wonderful clip of the band doing Sweet Dreams, would love to see the rest of that gig)
It was also nice to clips from the promo's for Squires Fish Out Of Water and Howe's beginnings. I have fond memories of seeing these two on the big screen, as support features to Yessongs, at a one-off screening of the film at the Odeon Liverpool way back in the 70's. Anyone else see this on the big screen?
It's also quite entertaining to observe the changes in fashion, from the long hair in the 70's to the Very Big Hair and Big Glasses in the 80's!
As for the video hits, I am sure not many people realise just how innovative some of Yes's video's actually were for the time, especially Leave It and Owner.
OK, there are the 'concert style' vids, like Tempus Fugit, Into The Lens and Wondrous Stories; the slightly twee and embarrasing Don't Kill The Whale and Madrigal, not forgetting Jon in dicky bow and mascara on the It Can Happen clip! If you turn the sound down, you would swear you were looking at Duran Duran! The Rythm of Love vid is also very 80's MTV, all cartoony graphics and sultry blondes wrapped in silk sheets. the Love Will Find a Way vid see's the band a little more relaxed and at ease, similar to the Genesis Invisible Touch vid.
There are also a couple of actual in concert clips from the 9012 live video of Hold On and All Good People,which are a welcome taster for the upcoming release of the DVD (Did'nt realise the concert footage and video were directed by Steven Soderbergh as a young film student).
But I remember seeing the Owner vid for the first time, and being taken completely by surprise by it. Even now it looks quite disturbing. (I am sure a tamer version of this probably got shown on Top Of The Pops)
Normally I would never buy a collection of video's by any band, but in this case a lot of these videos never got that much exposure and were little, if ever, shown on TV. And the inclusion of the 9012 live stuff is very welcome. Each of the vids also get an introduction by members of the band (filmed at the same concert venue the Yesyears interviews were done).
So with slight reservations, I would say both of these DVD's are certainly worth purchasing. Don't worry too much about the NTSC stickers on the front cover, they are region 2, but are in the US NTSC format, which means on some older (very old) TV's you may get a black and White picture.
Both are 2 channel PCM stereo, not 5.1. Did not really expect Yesyears to be 5.1, as it is a documentary with music clips. But surely the tracks on the video hits could have easily been mixed into 5.1. Don't get me wrong, sound is good, but it could have been better.
I still think Yesyears is a superb documentary. There is some wonderful archive footage in there, and some honest comments from the members of the band. Rick is superbly entertaining as always, and this really is a comprehensive warts-and-all history of the band from the early days up to about 1990.
I always wondered if there were longer versions of some of the concert clips, especially from the Relayer/Tormato/Going For The One and Union tours era. (There is a wonderful clip of the band doing Sweet Dreams, would love to see the rest of that gig)
It was also nice to clips from the promo's for Squires Fish Out Of Water and Howe's beginnings. I have fond memories of seeing these two on the big screen, as support features to Yessongs, at a one-off screening of the film at the Odeon Liverpool way back in the 70's. Anyone else see this on the big screen?
It's also quite entertaining to observe the changes in fashion, from the long hair in the 70's to the Very Big Hair and Big Glasses in the 80's!
As for the video hits, I am sure not many people realise just how innovative some of Yes's video's actually were for the time, especially Leave It and Owner.
OK, there are the 'concert style' vids, like Tempus Fugit, Into The Lens and Wondrous Stories; the slightly twee and embarrasing Don't Kill The Whale and Madrigal, not forgetting Jon in dicky bow and mascara on the It Can Happen clip! If you turn the sound down, you would swear you were looking at Duran Duran! The Rythm of Love vid is also very 80's MTV, all cartoony graphics and sultry blondes wrapped in silk sheets. the Love Will Find a Way vid see's the band a little more relaxed and at ease, similar to the Genesis Invisible Touch vid.
There are also a couple of actual in concert clips from the 9012 live video of Hold On and All Good People,which are a welcome taster for the upcoming release of the DVD (Did'nt realise the concert footage and video were directed by Steven Soderbergh as a young film student).
But I remember seeing the Owner vid for the first time, and being taken completely by surprise by it. Even now it looks quite disturbing. (I am sure a tamer version of this probably got shown on Top Of The Pops)
Normally I would never buy a collection of video's by any band, but in this case a lot of these videos never got that much exposure and were little, if ever, shown on TV. And the inclusion of the 9012 live stuff is very welcome. Each of the vids also get an introduction by members of the band (filmed at the same concert venue the Yesyears interviews were done).
So with slight reservations, I would say both of these DVD's are certainly worth purchasing. Don't worry too much about the NTSC stickers on the front cover, they are region 2, but are in the US NTSC format, which means on some older (very old) TV's you may get a black and White picture.